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KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak confirmed last night that Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib had expressed his intention to quit.

But the Prime Minister said he is consulting the views of Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud before making any decision.

“He had stated his interest to relinquish his position as deputy minister but I have yet to consult the Sarawak BN chairman, so just wait,” Najib said after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting here.

He refused to say when the son of the Sarawak chief minister had tendered his resignation.

Najib also said Sulaiman wanted to quit for personal reasons.

“It doesn’t matter... for personal reasons,” said Najib when asked if Sulaiman had mentioned his reason for quitting.

Yesterday The Malaysian Insider reported that Sulaiman had tendered his resignation last month, citing health reasons.

Sulaiman was the former chairman of CMSB which also once owned RHB Bank and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree.

In the last 12th general election held in March 2008, Sulaiman stood as a candidate in the Kota Samarahan parliamentary seat previously held by his father.

Following his win, he was appointed a deputy minister of tourism in the administration of then-Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and was retained by Najib last April.